khanabadosh

It is the smallest of the major rivers in India, but waters of Kaveri (a.k.a Cauvery) have historically been the life blood for regions of the far South. The river, which is fabled to be an offspring of Brahma, has entire Hindu legends and mythologies based around it, and is venerated as a goddess. Some religious texts even deem it to be more sacred than the Ganga, and perhaps with a good reason. Kaveri, with its tributaries, has forever been the chief source of water in these parts. It has nurtured the Southern kingdoms since the Iron Age, seen their rise and fall and been an integral part of the culture and heritage here. Even today,  Kaveri river system is the prime source of fresh water for two of the country's biggest states, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and has been the cause of a major geopolitical conflict between the two states for over a century.

The entire ride was brilliant. The first stretch was the 10 km ride on the Bangalore Elevated Tollway (BETL) to Electronics City. The second stretch was a 14 km arc on NICE Road, which again is a wide segregated expressway, making a semi-circle around Bangalore. Needless to say, we covered both these stretches in very good time. We got off at the Kanakapura road (NH 209) exit from NICE Road on a 60 km long stretch. 

The Kanakapura road was narrower and had heavy traffic. But the road was well built and fun to ride on as we made fast cuts and curves through it. In the mean time, I was really starting to like my FZ. Although lacking power and speed, it more than made-up for that in balance and stability. Negotiating with the heavy traffic on it was a breeze. And apparently, its just impossible to make a mistake on it, unless you attempt something like a somersault that is. 

The other bikes weren't having such a great time though. The Avenger's engine stopped as soon as we landed on the NH. After a brain storming session we decided that looking for a mechanic would be the best way to go. We did actually find one a kilometer down the road who helped us stow the bike till his shop, where it got duly repaired (the problem was salt sedimentation in the circuitry).

By the way, Independence day celebrations were in full swing in the country side and were manifest in spirited colors.

We continued on the highway up till Sathanur, where we were supposed to take a left on a rural road. Here, I got separated from the rest of the pack due to a communication gap (others had decided to stop there for a break) and the total lack of phone signals. I simply continued on that rural road, through a hilly ride, all the way up till the banks of the river Kaveri.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaveri is quite humble when compared to the greats in the North.  It is 770 km long and its basin is 81,000 sq. km in area. In contrast, Krishan's (it closest neighbor) respective numbers are 1,400 km and 250,000 sq. km, and those of the great Ganga are 2,500 km and 1 M sq. km. Moreover, it is a monsoon fed river, that means it doesn't have a constant source of replenishment like the Himalayan rivers. But, given its geographical isolation, this humble river has been shouldering and fulfilling the responsibility of feeding this entire region. Now when a resource is limited and the takers are many, it becomes precious and sacred, and sometimes even a cause of controversy and conflict. Which is the case with Kaveri.

The Kaveri river water dispute is one of the oldest and most famous conflicts in the country. If you are a Bangalore resident, it becomes all too real when you see political workers waving the state flag and enforcing a close-down of the city, all to voice their disagreement with whatever the courts have to say. The root of the conflict lies in the agreements which the British drafted long before India became independent.

At that time Karnataka used to be the Princely State of Mysore and Tamil Nadu used to be Madras Presidency. According the original agreements, Mysore would have to seek Madras' consent for any major Kaveri related projects that it undertook, and also make sure that the latter's interests are not injured. Mysore was never content with this agreement. From their perspective, Madras belonged to the British Raj, and that they were heavily favored in this deal. On the other hand, Madras being lower riparian state was concerned about its water supply and was always vociferous in its demands. So, whenever Mysore started a new project, Madras would strongly oppose it and Delhi would be called in to arbitrate, new plans would be drawn and new rules would be applied. But the two states never would and never have come to an actual agreement on this issue and above sequence became a historic cycle.

Today, a hundred years later; Mysore has become Karnataka, Madras has become Tamil Nadu and India is an independent country, but the dispute is yet to be resolved. Even after several Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers, committees and court hearings, demonstrations and riots, and even new players getting involved (Kerala and Pondicherry also claim a right on a portion of Kaveri waters), the two states are still running around in circles. Tamil Nadu cries 'thief' and Karnataka cries 'foul' and Delhi is called in to make peace.

• Flickr Set
• Facebook Album